As a cruise region, the Eastern Mediterranean encompasses a broad range of
territories that include the Adriatic coast of Italy and Dubrovnik, Croatia, the
islands of Greece, Turkey's Istanbul and Kusadasi, and the Black Sea region,
which features Dardanelles and ports of Northern Turkey, the Ukraine (Crimea)
and Russia. Some cruises dip down into what's called the Holy Land, with stops
in Cyprus, Ashdod or Haifa Israel and -- when it's safe enough to do so -- cruis
epoerts in Alexandria, Port Said in Egypt.

This region is increasingly one of the most popular in Europe. Its blend of
ancient histories and antiquities -- along with more laid-back treasures, such
as beaches and villages -- offers a fantastic array of holiday options. . It's
the kind of getaway that can appeal to almost everyone in a diverse group, from
kids (who will love donkey rides in Santorini) to history buffs (who will go on
and on about their stops in Ephesus).

Originally the area was known as Inoni (or Inona or Inopia). Its title
originates from Aegina, among the 50 kids from the river god Asopus, who were
adored by Zeus.The king of Olympus, to be able to avoid, Hera, tranformed into
a...

Alanya lies on the east side of the Gulf of Antalya below a rocky
promontory of marble. The ancient city was enclosed by a rambling wall that
makes its way all around the peninsula. Alanya was a Cilician frontier fortress
on the border w...

All of the right elements come together to make this sun-drenched
Mediterranean town on the Turkish Riviera a major holiday resort. The beautiful
crescent bay, dramatic cliffs and jagged mountains contribute to a stunning
backdrop. It is...

Jordan is one of the most fascinating destinations in the Middle East, offering attractions that are manifold and unequalled. The country is not blessed with rich oil supplies; its treasures lie in the beauty of the land and a unique combin...

Argostoli (Cephalonia), The Ionian Island of Kefalonia, also known as
Cephalonia, is dramatically beautiful, with jagged limestone coves and terraced
slopes dotted with olive groves. The finest point round the island is Mount
Ainos, risi...

Busy Ashdod is not only one of Israel's fastest-growing cities, it's also
the country's largest port. Perched on the Mediterranean, it processes more than
60% of the goods imported into Israel. Home to many ancient peoples over the
centu...

Batumi, Georgia on the Eastern coast of the Black Sea is the largest port
and 3rd largest city in the Republic of Georgia and capital of the autonomous
republic of Adjara, an autonomous republic in Southwest Georgia. With its large
port ...

Passengers sailing into the Turkish port of Bodrum first see the Castle of
St. Peter, a dominating 15th-century crusader outpost that sits between a yacht
marina and a bay. Gullets, the traditional Turkish wooden sailing yachts, bob on
t...

Constanta is Romania's largest Black Sea port and one of the country's
biggest cities, with a population of some 260,000. The modern port was built up
rapidly by Romania's post-war Communist government, but the city's history goes
back...

Mountains
rise in sheer walls from the sea. Snowcapped peaks loom behind sandy shoreline,
vineyards, and olive groves. Miles of beaches, some with a wealth of amenities
and others isolated and unspoiled, fringe the coast. But spectacular...

The Crete Island area was among the first important cultures in Europe and
Heraklion is extremely near that which was the most crucial cultural and
political hub of the Minoan people. Knossos Structure, as it is called today, is
among th...

The Dardanelle's, formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Dardanelles is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea ...

Dikili Bergama is really a seaside town along with a district of Izmir
Province within the Aegean Region of Turkey. The district is very attractive
both along its shoreline as well as in its interior parts and is a well-liked
summer t...

The extraordinary beauty of Dubrovnik, "the city made of stone and light," has
inspired countless such poetic exclamations. Part of its mystery is that it lies
hidden between the Adriatic and Dinaric Alps. It has been fortunate to have
r...

Europe’s most forgotten country from communism to vacation Haven, Albania
is Europe's New Sweet SpotWith 200 miles of Adriatic and Ionian Sea
coastline,.Albania is fast becoming the adventure seekers an alternate
European travel getaw...

Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, an active port along with a popular
resort city. It's situated in the northern tip from the Red-colored Ocean,
around the Gulf of Aqaba. The city's idyllic beaches, buzzing night life and
expansive de...

Fethiye, meaning blue lagoon, is really a tourist town by having an
worldwide atmosphere. We have an excellent marina and night existence. The city
also can serve as a great base for touring the inland country-side, and it is
most like...

Gythion, One of the most beautiful parts of this region of the Peloponnese
is the plain of Laconia which extends from Sparta to the port of Gytheion. The
many neo-classical houses of this harbor town are built on the slopes of Mount
Kour...

Israel's biggest cruise port city (and third-biggest city overall), Haifa
was ruled for four centuries through the Ottomans and progressively raised the
mountainside region into a cosmopolitan city whose port served the entire Middle
Eas...

The Dalmatian island of Hvar is the greenest, longest, and most ancient of
those found in the area. Conde Nast Traveler rates it as one of the world's top
10 islands and recently Lonely Planet rated it number 5 on its list of the
world's...

Hydra is perhaps the most beautiful port village in all of Greece. A
tiny harbor ringed with cafes, restaurants and gold shops is surrounded by a
village of stone houses and villas that rise up the hills like an ampitheatre.
But one o...

A geographic and metaphoric melding of East and West, Istanbul is the
world's only city covering two continents. The Bosporus runs through the center;
Europe lies to the west, Asia to the east. For nearly 2,000 years, the ideally
situate...

With over 3500 years of human habitation, Izmir (formerly Smyrna) is now a very modern city with few remnants of its storied past. In 1922 at the end of the Greco-Turkish War, almost the entire city was destroyed by a fire and the significa...

Katakolon could not seem less of a cruise port if it tried. A tiny enclave clinging to the western Peloponnese coast, it's a sleepy place except when ships dock. But it's a popular cruise destination because of its proximity to Olympia. Anc...

Found on the Bay of Kavala across in the island of Thasos, the northern a
holiday in Greece town of Kavala may be the principal seaport of eastern
Macedonia and capital of the Kavala prefecture. Kavala is built around the
slopes of Mt....

The Greek island of Kos is located in the south eastern Aegean Sea, near to coast of Turkey. The island is a particularly popular tourist destination, boasting an array of attractions including pristine beaches, excellent restaurants and ba...

Kotor is definitely an ancient city situated within the deep and fjord-like
Bay of Kotor. The main port from the new nation of Montenegro, Kotor's small Old
Town is encircled with a massive defensive wall built through the Venetians. In
...

The area around the modern city of Kusadasi (pronounced koo-shah-dah-see) was an important classic Greek port and a significant urban center during the time of the Roman Empire. Paul wrote letters to the Ephesians who lived in the Roman cit...

Cyprus, when a center for that cult from the Greek goddess Aphrodite, is
really a contemporary island nation that maintains a basically Mediterranean
character. Its 3,572 square miles encompass citrus and olive groves,
pine-forested moun...

Marmaris is centrally situated around the Turkish Riviera and draws in many
Men and women using its well-developed beach and resort industry plus its
beautiful mountain tops ideal for outside adventures. You will find a couple of
histori...

The Cyclades Islands in Greece are some of the most magnificent islands in the world. The startling contrast between bright white sands and sharp cliffs overlooking crystal blue waters offers visitors a dreamlike experience that is incompar...

Mytilene
is really a strikingly beautiful Island, rich in culture and vibrant. Because
Mytilini is a city and can be hot in the summer as cities can be, most people
who visit Lesvos don't spend their holiday here, opting for the beach to...

Oraia (beautiful) is the word Greeks use to describe Nafplion. The town's old section, on a peninsula jutting into the gulf of Argos, mixes Greek, Venetian, and Turkish architecture; narrow streets, often just broad flights of stone stairs,...

Nessebur (sometimes typed "Nesebâr" or "Nessebar"), a rocky peninsula
protruding from the Bulgarian coast, is among Bulgaria's most widely used
tourist locations. Nessebur was settled through the Greeks like a buying and
sellin...

Odessa is both an historically important and entertaining city, one whose history is matched by the splendor of the present day community. In the new millennium, the citizens of Odessa are hopeful that their wonderful city will continue on ...

Situated on the Adriatic Coast of Croatia, Opatija is positioned at the
foot of the Ucka Mountain on the Gulf of Kvarner. The city boasts a beautiful
natural landscape and a host of fabulous attraction including historic buildings
and mo...

Parga is really a town situated within the northwest of Greece around
Epirus. Parga rests on the Ionian coast between your metropolitan areas of
Preveza and Igoumenitsa. Tourism is quite new here and the amount of foreign
vacationers is ...

Port of Paros Overview & Background
Situated in the Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Paros is a popular Greek
destination for tourists. Paros is part of the island group known as the
Cyclades, and it’s famous for its picturesque, traditi...

Each of the Greek Islands has a distinctive character, but Patmos possesses one
of the most unusual. Legend has it that St. John wrote the book of revelations
while exiled upon this idyllic island- a story which has led thousands of
pilg...

Should you arrived at Athens looking for gleaming whitened temples, you
might be aghast to locate much from the city has melded into what seems to
become a viscous concrete mass. Among the sprawl and squalor, though, the
traditional city...

Rhodes is really all through the year Greek island destination only a
couple of miles from the shoreline of southern Turkey. The town of Rhodes was
the place of one among the Seven Ancient Miracles around the globe, the Colossus
of Rh...

The Cyclades Islands in Greece are a gorgeous collection of unique and beautiful islands. The southernmost gem in this island collection is Santorini. This is the island that most often adorns tourist brochures welcoming visitors with its f...

Sevastopol is an important and historical port on the Black Sea. Founded in
1783 as the base of the Black Sea Navy of Russia, it was besieged by the British
in the Crimean War. In the 20th century it was the home port of the Soviet
Na...

The heart of Split lies within the walls of Roman emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, which was built in the 3rd century AD. Born in the nearby Roman settlement of Salona in AD 245, Diocletian achieved a brilliant career as a soldier an...

Once home to an independent empire, Trabzon has always benefited from its strategic location on the Black Sea Coast, protected by a formidable wall of mountains. Wanderers from Miletus founded the city in the 8th century B.C.. However, ...

Varna is most likely probably the most attractive city in Bulgaria and
its wide shores and crowded ports are the place to find an enormous diversity of
individuals and cultures. Featuring the very best weather in the region, Varna
is bec...

Volos is a commercial and industrial city, and Greece's third-largest port.
Much of it has been rebuilt after a severe earthquake in 1955. Volos' location
in the gulf of the same name and proximity to scenic Mount Pelion highlights
this ...

Yalta, spread out on the southern coast of the Crimea, is the most popular
city of the peninsula, and it proudly carries the epithet “capital of Crimean
resorts.” The unique combination of natural beauty, endless...

Dalmatia's capital for more than 1,000 years, Zadar is all too often passed
over by travelers on their way to Split or Dubrovnik. What they miss out on is a
city of more than 73,000 that is remarkably lovely and lively despite-and, in
so...